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Teacher Appreciation Contest: Honorable Mentions

Teaching is, without question, a demanding job. Many educators suffer high stress and low morale, and many who are new to the profession leave within a few years. With the EducationWorld Teacher Appreciation Contest, we aimed to honor and reward the exceptional people who not only are committed to this work, but who also couldn't imagine doing anything else.

We asked educators from across the nation to tell us why they wouldn't trade teaching for any other job. Stories from our Honorable Mentions Appear below. Also, don’t miss the inspirational submissions from our contest winner and runners-up.
 

Klarissa Bruno
English/Special Education Teacher
Fort Lee High School, Fort Lee, NJ

I would not trade teaching for any other job for many reasons. I love the rewarding feeling of knowing that students will remember something I taught them for the rest of their lives and possibly pass it on. I love being the person my students look forward to coming to class to see when they have no one else to go to. I appreciate the teaching profession for more than just knowing my students are learning something from me academically. I teach special education and behavioral, emotional, and learning-disabled high school students--I want nothing more than to know I bettered their lives in some way. Having students come back and visit after going to college and apologizing for actions, yet thanking me for giving them real-life advice, makes me not want to trade my job for anything else in the world.

 

Allison Daly
Lincoln (Elementary) School, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

I have been a teacher in NJ for 15 years. Right now, times are tough. There are a lot of requirements that are being set on us as well as the students. We, as teachers, are seeing a decrease in the amount of time that we are allowed to "teach" and an increase in the amount of time we spend "testing" or "preparing for the test." This is disheartening to many teachers, including me.

I, however, consider myself to have the BEST job in the world. Why, you ask? The whole reason that I went into this profession....THE KIDS! They teach me...they make me a better person...they complete me as an educator...and THEY are worth it. I have taught kids over the years that have gone on to do amazing things with their lives. I have taught students with unstable home lives who NEEDED me. I have seen students literally mature before my eyes. These are the reasons that I have stayed in this profession and will continue to work as hard as I can.

So when things start to get rough and morale is down, I simply look at the faces of the kids and feel blessed to have chosen this career. After all, this is the career that begins all of the other careers that exist! I can be proud that I've had something to do with the success of each of my students as they set out into the world.

 

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